Separator



Aug. 19, 1952 A. GORDON 2,607,493

SEPARATOR Filed June 50, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 vll x W Il A'. GORDON SEPARATOR Aug. 19, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 30, 1948 j/zg E.

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Aug. 19, 1952 A, GORDON 2,607,493

SEPARATOR Filed June 50, 1948 .3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Aug. 19, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE y SEPARATOR Arthur Gordon, Chicago, Ill. Application June 30, 1948, Serial No. 36,219

This invention relates to a separator and more particularly to a separator to remove waste matter such as waste products suspended in Water.

It is an object of this invention to l provide means for expelling fumes from such a separator.

It is another object of this invention to provide means for preventing explosive fumes from accumulating in an oil separator or from being passed from the separator into the sewage system of a city or village.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an apparatus from which fumes are expelled by a pumping action caused by rises and falls in the liquid level thereof.

vIt is another object of the invention to provide aseparatorin which lighter fluids, such as gasoline, may be separated and recovered from r heavier fluids with which they are intermixed.

It is another object of this invention to provide a readily removable lter for such a separator which filter may be easily cleaned` or replaced.

Other and further objects will be apparent from the following specification and drawings in which Fig. l is a side elevation partlyin section of the device of the invention, Fig. 2 is a top plan view (partially broken away) of the separator, Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the separator, Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken 90 `from the section of Fig. 3 and Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through the separator.

While the vinvention is susceptible of various modications and alternative constructions, it is herein shown and will hereinafter be described in a preferred embodiment. It is not intended, however, that the invention is to be limited thereby to the specific construction disclosed. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all modications and lalternative constructions falling within the spiritand scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Referring now to the'drawings, Il) indicates a separator lhaving a top II, side walls I2 and I3, end walls I4 and I5 and bottom I5. `The top II lits snugly between the upstanding edges of the side and end Walls and is provided with a plurality of openings I'I therein. Positioned immediately beneath the top, is a basin member I8 provided with a lip I9 at its top iitting into a corresponding recess 20 in the walls. One side of the basin I 8 is divided into two parts, the upper part 2I being spaced inwardly from and extending below the top of the lower part 22 to act as a trap when the basin I8 contains liquid, it being apparent that fluid, to flow over the top of the Vwall 22, must rise above the bottom of the wall 2l. Heavy 2 Claims. (Cl. 210-56) solids, such as gravel and sand, come to rest on the bottom of the basin and are not carried into the balance of the unit. A U-shaped member 23 divides the separator into three compartments and comprises two legs 24 and 25 and a bottom 26. The leg 25 has a plurality of elongated openings 2l formed therein through which liquid may flow in the manner hereinafter to be described. The top Aot the member 23 is provided with flanges 28 and 29 which rest snugly against the bottom of the basin I8. A screening member 30 rests upon the bottom of the U-shaped member and is provided with a handle 3| for ease of removal for cleaning. The particular type of screen may be chosen to t the needs of the installation. For

example in a garage installation a screen containing a wire mesh of the character of steel lwool may be employed. The U-shaped member 23 rests uponv shoulders 32 and 33 provided on the walls I4 and I5. In order to assure the proper positioning of the member '23 I prefer to supply the member with a leg 34 adapted to be received into an opening 35 in the shoulder 32 and provide no corresponding opening in the shoulder 33. Thus, it can be seen that the member 231s insertable in one position only within the separator I0.

The separator just described is similar in many respects to the one shown in my U. S. Patent No. 2,099,061, issued on November 16, 1937. 'I'hat separator is commonly referred to as an all purpose separator as it is adaptable for use under widely different circumstances. I have found, however, that when that separator is used in ra garage for example, where oily liquids and other petroleum products including gasoline are passed through the separator-a dangerous situation often arises. The vexplosive nature of gasoline fumes iswell known and serious accidents may occur where fumes are permitted to accumulate in a y rator and preferably on the exteriorV of the building.

Accordingly I have invented a means of expelling fumes from such a separator which not only effectively removes fumes from the interior of the separator and prevents such fumes from entering the sewer but in addition provides a means of venting back pressure from a sewer to the atmosphere and thus prevent overflow or 3 backing up of the separator due to excess sewer gas pressure.

The separator, therefore, is provided with an outlet 40 connected to a pipe 4l which extends upwardly from the outlet to connect with a sewer pipe 42. The vertical distance between the outlet 4U and the location of the sewer pipe 42 determines the normal liquid level within the separator andthe; area of the outlet is lessthan the area ofzthe passage defined by the walls 2l and 22. On the opposite side of the casing is a second outlet 43 in the form of a circular opening whose lower edge is approximately at the normal liquid level. A pipe 44 leads from the outlet 43 into Aa container 45. The container is provided-wilma motor driven pump 46 controlled by afloat 41 to remove the liquid as it accumulates within'the ...to .the4 atmosphere any sewer gases ,which may buildup within thejsewer.

' ,In operation .it is contemplated that my ,unit will besu-nkin the floor of a garage, for example, ,with thetop, l l substantiallylevel withthe garage floor. ALiquid washed down into thel separator vpassestthrough .the opening VI. and ills the basin 4 Al8 to the level ofthe utop edge of theside 22. Waste ,matter ythenspills over the topedge Aof `,thatsideand,into ,anrst chamber 53, From .the ,.chamberjil theliquid flows in the `space between ,the bottom'of the separator i6 and the ,bottom 26 L Ikofthe ,U.-Shaped mem.ber into. asecond compartv menthL` Liquid ,may then passthrough the openings 2l inthe leg ,25 and into the'third k.chamberg Liquid filter-ing throughthe screen 30,rnay then'enter theoutletv wand pass tothe sewer. AAI ,ighteriluids such as gasolineintroduced into,theseparatorwill naturally oatlon topof ,heavier iiuids therein. As fresh `waste matter is introduced into the separator ,the level of the liquid .therein will temporary rise above vthe nornialblil'quid level determined ,by the location of the sewer pipe 42 and thus the lighter Iiuids ysuch ,asgasolinemay,low. through the, pipe 44 and be recovered. in the containeni. Asthe basin I8 jprovidesa.hermetic seal between itself andthe *walls ofY the separatonandthus renders'the separater substantially airtight, lany risein ,liquid llevel .which decreases the air space withinthe separa-,tor vforces vapors outrthrough the outlet 43. ,and into. the vent 49. `D uringconstant use .this ffpumpne action ofthe `liquid within 'the' senaratoreiectvelv forces explosive fumes into vthe .ventwhere they may .be Vdispelled to the .atmosphereljfurthermimportant feature vof the particular apparatlisV shown is that Vshould any of the screens oi' passages Vbecome clogged by grease or foreign matter such ,as paper and the like, the entire separator will 'fail to Operate and will intime llmwith liduidto the point where no additional liquid willpassthrough .the holes I1. The resulting'iiood isarnple and adequate warning that the top il should be lifted as well as the basin I8 and the U-shaped member23, in orderthat ,all interior parts of the separator may be cleaned yand-,the clogging matter removed. Thus, if the separator is Acapable of receiving water' through lthe openingA Il?,Y one can be assured that the de- -fvice Yis functioning properly, and'should the device become inoperative through clogging-such `inoperative state-is immediately'announced by 4 the flooding of the floor adjacent the top of the separator.

Coupled with the advantages of ease of cleaning, is the further advantage that where the unit is used to separate waste matter which includes by-products, the screen itself aids in the recovery of products which would otherwise be lost. For example, when used in a tannery the screen :catches: and lholds aniI-nalphair,T a :valuable bya product of tanning. An overflow offtherseparator indicates that the screen is clogged, whereupon it may be removed and the clogging hair recov- ,ered and sold.

e I- claim Il. A liquid separating apparatus comprising a separator casing having a plurality of connected separating compartments therein, a foraminous topfor the casing, a liquid retaining basin beneath the top and a'bove the compartments and 4into whichY liquid entering Vthe separator passes,

said basinhaving formedin one sidewallthereof an openingforming a passage located above the bottom o-f 'thelbasinandhaving `an upwardly extending portion interconnecting the basin and one' of the compartments, a conduitforming an outletconnecte'd vtoV one ofY said compartments `near the bottom `of said casing andextendingupwardly therefrom 1 to .determine a normal liquid level inthe separator with said liquid level being intermediateA said passage Y and said outlet and .dening ajclosed vapor tspace withfjthe separator, a second outlet connected atone' end to the vapor spacejust above "the normal liquidlevel therein, the other end of said .secondoutletbeing connected to a container, .andavapor vent openingatone end to said second outletV and ,opening at the ,other end to the atmosphere remote from the separator, said second outlet and said v apcr vent' being open at all times'during normal operation ofthe apparatus and saidpassage having an area greater Vthan lthel area ofxsaidrst'outlet whereby liquid entering ,the separator causes a rise inV theliquid level thereinto'force vaporin said vapor space into the vapor vent and to float lighter fluids into vthe second outlet.

`2. iA liquid separating apparatus comprising-a separator casing-a foraminous topfor theca'sing through'which'liquidsfenter the casing, aliquid retainingY basin located immediately beneath the foraminous top and having a tight seal ,around itsperiphery withs'aid casing, a cubical removable'member extendingfrorn the bottom of said basin downwardly vto apoint. short of the ibottom of said casing toA divide the -portion of said casing Vnot occupied by said basin into three compartments, said cubical member having a grilled construction -near thetop ofone wall'thereof to provi-de communication Abetween the compartment 'formed on the interior of'svaid Ymember and one of one of the compartments outside of said cubical member, a Yconduit forming an outlet connected vto the compartment formed within-said cubical member and extendingupwardly therefrom Yto rdetermine a normal liquid level intheseparator withqsaid liquid level ybeing-intermediate said passage" and said outlet and between the two dening a closed vapor space within the separator, a second outlet connectedat one end to ,the vapor spaceY just above the normal liquid level therein, the Aother-end of Vsaid second outlet being con- 2,607,493 5 l 6 nected to a container, and a vapor vent opening REFERENCES CITED at one end t0 said second outlet and opening at The followin references are of record in the the other end to the atmosphere remote from the me, of this patgent: separator, said second outlet and said vapor Vent being open at al1 times during normal operation 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS of the apparatus to permit of' continuous dis- Number Namey Date charge of vapors and liquids having the lowest 1,122,625 McNutt Dec. 29, 1914 specic gravity of those in the separator. Y 1,910,186 Sisk May 23, 1933 Y 2,095,024 Boosey Oct. 5, 1937 ARTHURGORDON. 10 2,099,061 Y Gordon Nov. 16, 1937 2,102,430 McLeod Dec. 14, 1937 2,328,027 Mullerv Aug, 13, 1943 

